


Still On Patrol

by MarsPrime



Series: Forged in Three Parts [2]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-21
Updated: 2017-06-18
Packaged: 2018-11-03 10:08:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10965072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarsPrime/pseuds/MarsPrime
Summary: War is not a forgiving thing. It takes and it takes, through willing sacrifice or by stolen loss. And those left in the dust are left to reminiscent. Yet some stories are left untold simply because no one is left to tell them. Let's not do them the disservice of forgetting.OR the moments before the monsters are born.





	1. Kresh

**Author's Note:**

> Backstory~ for all my tragic creations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> part 1 of Peroration

Kresh is one of the best Seekers amongst Purr’s personal ranks. She is quick of mind and of blade. Painted in the most vivid purples and blues, such as those found in (distant) jwels, Purr’s personal insignia is woven into Kresh’s. A bold claim. Kresh doesn’t mind the “suggestion” of belonging to another. But those responsible for the snide remarks that even suggest a slight at her lack of autonomy are quickly and brutally silenced.

The Seekers are an extension of Purr’s will, but only because they choose to be. To compare the elite unit to the blasphemous Gestalts, who have no personhood to speak of, is a grave insult. Kresh is loyal to Purr only because he has promised her revenge on behalf of Maeve. And Purr is not above taking advantage. (And oh, does he take advantage.)

Maeve who was mated to Aegis and who were both stolen off a battlefield. Kresh should have had their backs and this failure has cost her dearly. This guilt clings to her like a second cloak and pushes her to be better than she already is.

Her devotion is unmatched and her loyalty unquestionable, given the right incentive of course. She fulfils her duty as Purr’s lito. (And if those duties take her to spending too much time with Purr, he is not one to complain. Nor is anyone in a position to judge.)

Kresh leads the Seekers into battle and drags their mangled frames out after. While Purr creates tactics, plans ops, and thinks about the good of All; Kresh monitors both his handpicked elite soldiers and the general masses. She looks for flaws, habits, tics; anything that can be passed either to Purr himself or to Effi to further the efficiency of the “Great” Sarellian War Machine.

These duties lead to situations like this one. There is a possible defector amongst the ranks.

Kresh observes as Pragma gradually becomes more and more nervous. Her absences have become more and more frequent. The time for her return from battle longer and longer. It is Kresh’s duty to report these signs to Purr, but Prag has ever been a friend and her loyalty is well established. She would not contemplate fleeing to the grave lands if it was not important.

The question then was whether to confront Prag or to simply observe and step in if called for. Maeve would be disappointed if Kresh acted without having all the facts. ~~Ignore the pangs of loss the arise at the thought of her missing sister.~~ Between the two of them, however, Maeve had always been the more social one. So Kresh will wait and see, only if asked will she act.

So, when Prag approaches her in the middle of the long dark, when Lacradam’s visage is absent from the void, Kresh is unsurprised. Prag asks her to follow her to meet someone. This is what does surprise her, the cause of the defection. Kresh is led to the edge of the ongoing battle where a petite, bright purple Ziram flits.

His name is Aster. They are in love. And have been mated for at least three battles. Have been seeing each other – debating philosophy – for even longer. Somehow, against all odds, they have managed to conceive.  That is why they are nervous. Kresh is a good friend to Pragma, they were teammates after all, and has always done what is right. Will Kresh help?

The plea is well played. Kresh, after the loss of Maeve and Aegis, has a soft spot to mated blooms. If their relationship is known they will be handed over to Effi. Not a kind fate. And as Kresh thinks over their plea she thinks of her sister. Maeve held all life in high esteem, she would have acted to secure the small bloom if only for the new sparks. Maeve had always been the kinder of the two.

But Kresh is unwilling to fail another bloom.

So, she agrees and in so doing doom herself.

When Purr greets her hemps from that one meeting, all soft touches and gentle pulses, Kresh knows they are caught. He may have cloak his wrath in rage, but Kresh knows his patterns like the inside of her cloak. When he wants her company in a less than professional manner, he never bothers to hide his arrogance or his blatant flirting.

Manipulating the duty lists to both clear an escape route and excuse Prag’s absence was not enough. Now Purr is here to punish his disobedient pet.

“We received a tip that the Ziram are planning on domesticating Gesalts, for military use. We can’t have that, now can we? Think about the hit to morale! Even worse they’ve been kidnapping are people of the battle field. That’s why they took your team mates. We must do _something_ to limit these damages!

“And oh, look at that, why ‘Resh you’ve given us the perfect opportunity to fight back against those devastating Gesalts. Those abominations that have consumed your sister. Oh, don’t worry you’ll still have your revenge. Even if you won’t remember wanting it. But it will be okay because killing those filthy Ziram is all you’ve ever wanted!”

If Purr is hurt by this betrayal, his lieutenant turning on him for a lesser Sarell, he does not show it. Kresh goes willingly to the operation table, knowing that the game is up. And thus, Kresh is silently beheaded just as Lacradam peaks over the horizon.

And at Lacradam’s apex, Peroration wakes with Kresh’s helm upon another’s shoulders.


	2. Pragma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> part 2 of Peroration

Pragma was nothing special. She was good at finding amazing Sarellians who wanted nothing to do with her. Prag couldn’t help falling a little bit in love with each being that she met. Maeve’s endless kindness, ~~it wasn’t pity~~. Kresh’s silent patience, ~~it wasn’t grudging tolerance~~. Aphra’s teasing smile, ~~it wasn’t malicious~~. Kreyena’s charity ~~, it wasn’t an effort to be left alone as quickly as possible~~. Aegis’s dry wit ~~, it wasn’t to make fun of you~~. They were all amazing, really.

They were a beautiful team on the field. It just always seemed like Prag was never enough for anyone. The twins had each other and Maeve had Aegis. Aphra was always of chasing someone else. Kreyena bounced between the team and Philautia, never sure of his loyalty. Prag considered herself lucky whenever Kresh choose to shadow her instead of Maeve and Aegis.

And then Aphra vanished. Just never returned from the battlefield. It was Prag’s fault. They’d been paired together and instead of watching her back. She’d been distracted. Then enemy was always brightly colored, but one of them had caught her eye. A bright purple star, that reminded Prag of the early days. ~~Back when the team still loved each other~~. And then Aphra was gone and retreat had been sounded.

Pragma had returned after words to look for a frame. Hoping there was enough to identify Aphra, no one wanted to wander back alone. (They would know you had lost your personal battle.) The same shade of purple was there. Silent agreement was to not attack during the after. (Of course, there were still battles, normally against Gestalt.) And on impulse Prag started asking them questions. That’s where it started. Discussions about philosophy over twitching frames and Aphra nowhere to be found.

They met like this time and time again. The two talked about anything that wasn’t classified, mostly they debated their respective patrons and Lacradam, who they were technically fighting over. Apparently Prag was more persuasive than he originally though because Aster eventually changed his form of address. He would never follow Xan’dath, but Aster did concede that Yandrell was not wholly in the right either. Thus, settling on following Lacradam.

Aster is an anchor point in a sea of change. With Aphra’s disappearance the rest of the team is on edge. They grow sloppy, constantly looking for signs of their missing teammate. (Old love flares back to life, ~~you never know what you have until its gone~~.) Then Maeve and Aegis are taken.

And the team is down to three.

Purr is never one to miss an opportunity and thus Kresh is recruited to the Seekers. Her hunt for vengeance a fine cage of thorns, turned both out and in.

And then there were two.

With Kreyena ever flickering loyalty to the team – ~~there is no team~~ – Pragma is alone. There is no one to talk to save Aster. And as they talked they grew fond.

Eventually they took their relationship a step further. They bonded during battle, the chaos and exposed cores from mangled frames masking any intimacy. That’s where the problem arises. As time goes on Prag’s helm grows heavier. It takes to long for her to realize it is the weight of a growing pod. An impossibility given her only interactions of that nature.

Pragma panics. It is an all-consuming blaze of “What do I do?” She is vaguely aware of Kresh’s ever watching gaze homing in on her. Kresh knows that something is wrong. When asked Aster believes they should escape to the wilds. Prag frets about, vaguely surprised the Seekers haven’t descended on her yet, and her helm grows heavier. She is big enough that it is not noticeable, will not be noticeable for a long while yet.

And she decides. She wants to try. She wants a small bloom, with little ones learning to sing and dance and all those things most soldiers have forgotten. So Prag and Aster plan their escapes into the Graveyard. Quickly, a problem becomes apparent. The Sarellians are careful in monitoring their people. They are sturdier then the Ziram but they heal slower and thus it is necessary to ensure everyone who come back is recovering. Prag needs someone to cover for her. To buy them enough time to get clear of Sarell territory.

Her first instinct is to ask Kreyena. She is refused, Kreyena’s loyalty was already questionable enough as is. Kreyena refuses to risk becoming one of Effi’s “projects,” _especially_ not for the teammate responsible for everyone _leaving_. (As if they had a choice.)

Her only choice is to ask Kresh.

She says yes.

And Pragma and Aster try to escape, they really do. But another team descends on them and takes them captive. The two of them are dragged before High Command and questioned. Kreyena is there. Prag had told Kreyena, in confidence, the reason why she was defecting. And like a slap to her faceplate, Kreyena shares the tale with High Command. Adding that Kresh had probably helped as that was the only other member of their team still present.

Purr is angry, he glides up to Prag and asks, “Why did you have to ruin it?” A soft slide of limb down the veil.

Pragma’s helm goes flying, severed just under the helm. Aster screams. Effi delights in the new specimen.

And thus, Kreyena stands alone.


	3. Aster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> part 3 of Peroration

Aster is nothing special. At least as far as they could tell. They are one amongst a troop of “Asteraceae.” Small and pretty and perfect. But nothing special. If they were destroyed to the point of no salvageability, they could easily be replaced. Just plant the corpse into the ground and wait for a new frame with the same name and face. Minus a few memories, but hey what’s a few memories between friends?

As an Asteraceae, before the war Aster had often served as hider during the Great Hunts. And now They are part of the first wave to enter combat. This Aster is quick and – like all Asteraceae – heals fast. However, praise amongst their own kind is scarce and often lacking. It could be said that they were lonely. But forgive them if they did not enjoy being treated as an accessory for it was common for the larger of the Denendra to attract their smaller companions.

While the smaller ones – nicknamed Whisps – where “gifted” with protection and shelter, the larger ones – Sweeps – had free reign over the others autonomy. Before the war, this symbiosis had worked. Sweeps helped gather resources for the Whisps and the Whisps would prioritize the Sweeps in whatever they were crafting. Now Whisps where support for Sweeps who would go off and do most the fighting. The Whisps get to avoid most of the battles but in return the existing relationship… well, it changed.

As an Asteraceae, Aster is beautiful. The first of their type and a most brilliant shade of purple. However, as a Whisp, they are typically vaunted for their beauty, their skills secondary. And Aster will _not_ be reduced to _just_ an accessory. So yes, it may have been lonely but it was still _better_.

So, they weren’t extremely happy when some random Shannet started talking to them. They weren’t.

They… no she, presentation was something they’d gotten around to discussing eventually. Pragma… was wonderful. Aster never asked why exactly Prag had been hanging around after a battle, but they were glad that she had. Prag was passionate, the way she spoke of what she believed in, how her, her cloak(?) seemed to below in imaginary wind whenever she was excited. How she listened to Aster when they spoke, as if they were equals.

Aster had no trouble admitting they were in love and wasn’t that sad that the only consistent conversation they were getting was with the enemy. The most common topic of conversation was the war – occasionally they spoke of the past, of life amongst the stars and the endless hunts and parties. And then the question came up; why? Why were they fighting?

It became apparent that that answer was too complicated for a pair of low ranking grunts. (Was it because those of higher rank? Or because their patrons had asked it of them? Surely this endless war is not what they wanted. What did Lacradam want in all this?) It was this line of questioning that eventually led Aster to deciding that those who had ordered this war were wrong. And that, clearly, the only being here that was innocent, was Lacradam.

Therefore, Aster was now “he” and further distanced from his peers for he was no priest. So, he never noticed the restlessness that took hold of the higher ranks. Didn’t notice the stares of one of his own the few times Aster returned to base. Aster simply kept to himself, like he had always done and was vaguely surprised whenever someone spoke to him.

After several battles, interspersed with recoveries, Pragma asked if they could officially tie themselves together. That first kiss had been bliss. Unfortunately, after that had been enough to get Prag to conceive. Aster couldn’t say he fully understood the mechanics behind it, but understood that it was a problem. He could see that Prag was panicking, unsure about what to do.

After considering the problem, Aster suggested they leave. He knew a lot of Reapers and defector from both sides hid out in the grave lands. So, when next he met Prag, he proposed they disappear. Prag said she would consider it, but even if they decide to do this, she would need help in making sure her own people couldn’t find her.

When next they met Prag had brought along another of her kind. This one Aster recognized. Both from official military reports and Prag’s own stories. It simply had never really connected that they were the same being. (He wouldn’t, it’s not like the Reyanden knew the Shannets names. And Prag had never bothered to describe her people.) Aster feels a sharp twinge of unease, Kresh, as Prag had introduced, was well known for her ruthlessness towards the Denendra. There is a large reward if you were to somehow remove her from the battlefield.

But if Prag thought she would help, then Aster would give her a shot. He watched her critically as Prag relayed their story to her. It was as if Kresh had been carved from stone, she made very little movement throughout the entire conversation. Not even when she should have turned to address Aster. It was unnerving. Kresh… well Kresh interrogated them both about the details of their relationship. When she was done, the pair waited with baited breath for her decision.

She said she’d help.

And three hemps later Aster and Pragma ran. It was during the darkest stretch of time, when Lacradam’s gaze was blocked, that the Shannets descended. Two against six are not favorable odds. Especially not when the pair are the ones being ambushed. Aster’s first thought is that Kresh had betrayed them. But no, given her reputation, she would have just ended them when they first met.

They are dragged before court, three Shannets stand as judges while another is hidden in the shadows. One of the two slimmer ones moves to speak with Pragma. The exchange is short and ends with Prag’s helm severed from the rest of her. 

Aster hears himself scream. Separated from its core, the heads filaments begin to unweave and drift in an unseen, unfelt breeze. The other small one moves to collect it. The shock sets in quickly and the last thing Aster sees before being knocked out is of his mate’s helm being cradled by one of those responsible for Pragma’s mutilation.

When next he wakes, it is to endless torture. To being ripped apart and pieced back together. In brief bouts of lucidity, he catches sight of Prag’s frame – sans the helm – suspended nearby. The cloak is stretched out and cut to allow access to the dress. Aster cannot make out what exactly they are doing, but just beyond that he can make out the azure shimmer of Kresh.

It takes him to long to realize that the only part of Kresh there is her head. It rests gently on a pedestal, as if it were an object of worship. Aster refuses to think about why Kresh is treated with more respect than Prag. (Not that he can think much at all through the pain.) And dimly Aster knows that this is his fault.

He should never have let his need for company put these people in danger.


	4. Cade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Countervail part 1

Cade does his job. He does not particularly care about the opinion of others. Does not care about what the common grunts whisper about behind his back. He is a Seeker, one in charge of monitoring internal affairs. And he is proud of it. No matter that his team no longer speaks to him outside of duty.

He is part of the barrier that protects the Sarell from the Ziram. If he must sacrifice his personal relationships then so be it. The fact that Seekers are also responsible for internal investigations as well as helping the efficiency of complex operations leads them to keep to their own. It was a tad difficult to be friends with someone who you knew was consistently watching and reporting back on your behavioral patterns.

It was just easier to keep to those who shared the same purpose as you. As a byproduct, Seekers tended to be fiercely protective of those few people they were found of. And Cade was one of the most fiercely protective Seekers. He had been one of the first Seekers and set the standard for all the rest. At least in dedication, there were other who were more skilled than he.

Kresh, for example, had immediately been placed directly under Purr. Cade understood, she was more skilled than him in terms of combat. The only reason that she hadn’t held that rank before the disintegration of her team, was her preexisting “loyalty” to her team. Or more specifically her twin sister. The contract between familial blooms takes president. It was quite convenient that they should disappear.

Cade had enjoyed training her further. Teaching had always been his favorite duty and it was a bit of a challenge imparting the Seeker ways on a new initiate. Seekers where always quite independent and unique, trying to figure out how to best hone their base natures into a perfectly balanced blade in Purr’s favor was interesting.

Kresh, for example, was very precise in how she metered out her attention to those around her. She preferred being in control, based her relations on whether she gained something from its existing. It was commonly thought that Maeve had served as a sort of moral compass for her because Kresh didn’t appear to have one. The underlying need for vengeance – or, as Cade thought privately, the raw need to rip an enemy to shreds; hidden by the carefully created persona of a concerned sister – was a weakness to be exploited.

Cade was loyal of that there was no doubt. So, one day when Purr, angrier than he had been in a while, swept in and told him to lead a team to capture “the traitor, Pragma, and her Ziram whore” he did it without question. He waited patiently outside the court room where they held the interrogation and helped “escort” the two prisoners to Effi’s lab. Two of Effi’s Harvesters took them from there.

(Cade would not meet Phila’s probe.)

And at a sharp gesture from Purr, followed him to Kresh’s door. The smaller Seeker did not look surprised to see them. Cade carefully averted his attention to give Purr privacy as he confronted his wayward lover. Kresh did not fight back – and wasn’t that surprising. The dissolving of a contract is always _messy_. One as complicated and conditional as the one between the Seeker General and his Lieutenant? Well, it’s unlikely that wither of them will be left intact, much less okay.

Kresh was also lead to the lab. _Makes sense Purr will want her reconditioned._ Except no, that’s not what’s happening. Kresh was gently made to bow, her veil folded up to reveal her neck.

“Cade if you would be so kind.”

Cade understands, and just as gently saws of her head. No longer connected to the rest of her frame – no longer inside her core’s sphere of influence – the filaments that form Kresh’s veil elongate. Her faceplate becoming more visible as the veil is stretched thin. It spirals out, optical nerves in the membranes border acting as a weight. But other than that, Kresh’s veil is at the whims of other’s fields.

Kresh’s frame stands back up. Cade jerks back. While removal of the head does not guarantee sending the core into shock, the instinctual failsafe should have prevented the frame from moving. Instead it sways about, blind, the cloak also beginning to unravel. The dress becoming visible as well it to uncondensed. However, this is not Xan’dath’s embrace and without the compact frame to help generate a strong enough field to keep it aloft, gravity takes ahold and the frame slams into the ground.

The Harvesters sweep in collecting both the head and the frame. That is the last Cade sees of Kresh.

Cade is loyal to the cause. But that does not mean he does not have his doubts. Cade understands, sometime unsavory things are done to further the cause. The ends justify the means, right? His certainty in these matters wavers. But not enough that when Purr summons him and tells him he’s been volunteered to participate in an experimental weapons project; he says no.

So, when he lays down on the operating table and never quite wakes up; now part of an old battlefields tale. He tells himself that he understands why he had to be sacrificed. He volunteered to be part of this. Now he’s finally strong enough, finally skilled enough, to finally be considered an immediate threat. It doesn’t matter that ~~Kresh~~ is still favored by Purr. That Peroration is better.

He understands.


	5. Philautia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> part 2 of Countervail

As one of Effi’s Harvesters, Philautia is responsible for repairing any injuries, developing better weapons, and on the occasion that they obtain prisoners, dissection. It was tedious and occasionally interesting, but it was life. And it got him out of combat, which was the main reason he had pursued a career under the infamous General.

Phila was not fond of pain. Sometimes he wondered what would have happened to his team if he'd been able to be on a battlefield without flinching or curling up into a ball. If he'd, maybe, acted to save his team. Now, most of his team had been replaced and the only survivor wouldn't even look at him. Phila was unsure what exactly Cade thought of him, but considering they hadn't exchanged a single word since Cade had dragged him and their teams decimated frames back to base, it couldn’t be anything positive.

The Harvesters hadn't been able to salvage their fallen comrades and they had therefore been recycled. After his team's destruction Phila had applied to join the Harvesters, ~~not because he was guilty or because he was angry that they couldn't save them.~~ When he eventually was promoted high enough to gain access to the archives, he looked to see what had happen to his teammates.

Phila's sure it should have hurt a lot more to see Kreyena. Effi had built them out of his teams remains. Which explained why they kept trying to contact him. Or that could have been whatever conditioning Effi had played around with when piecing them together. They have their own team now and Phila has enough sense to respect that. But not enough courage to seek Cade out and tell him that what had happened to their teammates. (He would be glad to know that they still retained a Sarellian form.)

As a high-ranking Harvester, Phila is privy to some classified information. Such as the possible trouble in the Seeker ranks. Therefore, he and his “lab partner” are not surprised when Effi prances into the lab, sever helm in hand. Cade trailing behind the General, carrying the rest of the frame while one of the, of the, replacements dragged in a limp Ziram. Phila took the frame from Cade, sending out a querying probe when their coronas briefly met. No answer. Phila dragged the slack frame further into the Harvester sector, into Effi’s personal lab.

The first thing that happened was that Effi fished out a core from storage and – loosely – connected it to the sever head. While Effi fiddled around with the head Phila was instructed to rig the frame into up in the harness. The harness would suspend the frame from the ceiling allowing the Harvesters to manipulate the frame and gain access to the internals. The Ziram was set up on one of the dissection tables. And the other “operating” table was set up for future surgeries.

Just as they were finishing up Cade returned, Purr leading the procession, the infamous Kresh between them. Phila felt vague twinges of discomfort as he watches his “surviving” teammate remove the head of his friend. And they were friends or close to friends as those two where capable of maintaining, Kreyena had no reason to believe otherwise.

The head was placed in a niche while the body was dragged to the other table. Now the operation can begin.

Phila had read the defectors report. He knew what to expect when Effi declared they were going to replicate the results. It was still strange to be purposely opening someone’s frame and switching out some of the internals with those harvested from the Ziram. They did eventually manage to successfully weave the more adaptive material into and around the original frames striped spinal column. The original dresses filaments where integrated into the Ziram’s mesh, the squishy bits growing and consuming the metal, providing a loose skeleton for the more malleable frame type. In the end, it was obvious that the dull, brown central frame was alien to the rest.

They then proceeded to strip the cloak, segmenting it into six parts. They then carefully unfurled each segment so that it’s filaments where more malleable. The Ziram had an incredibly flexible but sturdy frame, there even where thin thorns hidden in its limbs. Therefore, these small pieces where used to reweave the cloaks segments. The result was soft looking but incredibly vicious as the Ziram’s original thin thorns where reinforced with a Sarellian’s natural abilities. Due to the nature of the new weave, the Harvesters were required to use both Sarellians subjects cloak materials.

Afterwards it was a simple task to integrate Kresh’s head into the new frame. All three subjects had been relatively small, it was therefore unsurprising that the resulting creation was even smaller. Once successfully integrated, the three cores – which had been removed after their first successful cross species integration – where brought together to see if it was possible to merge them together. As with one of the more intimate mating rituals, small filaments spread out from the three cores. Theses filaments where then weaved together and heated until they were bonded permanently. The Ziram’s stranger core growing around the meshed metal.

With that done, the new frame was opened one last time and the new core nestled in.

After that it was no linger Phila’s problem. Reeducation was not his field. He did however read the reports on the monster’s progress. It really was just like a new Sarellian. So, when Effi asked if anyone wanted to volunteer to be a _part_ of the next one. Philautia jumped on it.

Hopefully the new “him” wouldn’t be as much of a coward and could protect “his” team.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm going to try and update this every Sunday until its done.


End file.
